2013 Interbike

Another Interbike is in the books. Looking back, the theme of this years show could be called, “Give us your Fatbikes and 27.5 bikes!” It seems, the entire showroom floor was littered with them. The 650B fad it seems, is more than just a fad. It’s a full-fledged, fledgling? I am going to need to spend some time riding a few of them so I can get onboard with this not 26 or 29 program. At this point though, I honestly don’t see the appeal.

Well, let’s get cracking!

As per usual, the day one breakfast was jam packed. Everyone seems to show up when you say, FREE FOOD.

Just outside the hall, Halo setup a really nice display showing off their sweat headbands. I know a few friends that use them and love them. The machine dripped water on these heads all day and at the end of the day the head on the right was still dry in the eye.

BIKND has several great choices for traveling with your bike. What makes their cases unique is they use airbags that surround your bike keeping it safe. Their website is in German so I am going to send you over to CC to take a look.

Here is it folks, something you’ve been waiting for. Shimano’s new hydraulic disc road brake system. I applaud Shimano for making it clean, simple and effective.

So, what’s the bad news? The new system is currently only compatible with Di2 shifters. Which means, to get the system up and running on your bike you are going to need to spend a pretty penny.

The SM-RT99 rotors are borrowed from their XTR mountain bike line so you know they are well-tested and tough. Look for them soon.

The rumors are true, Greg Lemond is back with a vengeance. His bikes are built by Time, as Lemond LLC has recently acquired the company.

Gotta say, the seat tube badge is stuff of legends.

Now on to something a little more, refined. Brooks legendary saddles are complimented by an entire line of finely-crafted leather bicycle goods. Down to the very smallest detail, every piece is glorious to look at and feel. The Leather Trouser Strap is a nice touch for those commuting to the office.

The Pickwick Backpack is their latest offering, helping to keep the goods on your back dry. Features a roll-top closure, water-resistant cotton exterior, genuine Brooks leather trim and a secret stash pocket.

Brooks has just about anything you need to keep you and your goods dry and looking good.

Something that will excite the many, is the new Cambium saddle line. Brooks traditional leather saddles are not known for being instantly comfortable. Typically, they need some time to mold to your shape. The Cambium saddles are made from vulcanized natural rubber and organic cotton enhanced by a thin layer of structural textile for added resilience and legendary Brooks longevity.  The uniquely flexible, maintenance-free, waterproof top is designed to follow the rider’s movements for immediate comfort and ease of use.

The Penny-Farthing. Love it!

Checkout the new Speedplay Brass Knuckle! Happy they got the name right. They are thinner and lighter than their Drillium pedals and come with either a chromoly or Ti spindle.

Also new for 2014, is the Pave. I tried throwing it against a wood wall to see if, in fact, it was a Ninja Star. They weren’t amused. The Pave is a cutaway design based on the Zero pedal that is supposed to help clear mud better. My question is, how much mud do you really see on the road? Hopefully, not much. Coming 2014 Spring.

Super comfy! Pearl Izumi has an entire line of running shoes under their Project EM flag. For 2014, they are launching this Men’s E:Motion Trail N1 running shoe. Did I mention it’s green and I love green? I slipped it on and did a few laps around the booth. It’s a minimal trail running shoe with plenty of support and comfort. BTW, its green! If you have a pair let us know what you think!

I was pretty bored with Raleigh bikes color schemes over the past few years. It seems they are finally upping their game. The 2014 RXC Pro Disc cyclocross bike looks really great in this radiant blue. The matching ENVE fork is a nice touch. MSRP for this bad boy is $5,000 spec’d out with Shimano Di2 and American Classic wheels. Get it.

You wanted to see a 21lb carbon Fatbike with carbon HED wheels running SRAM XX1? Okay, here you go. BTW, Salsa Cycles has a brand new website you should checkout.

I’ve had a long, misguided love affair with wanting a Park Tool kit. Having purchased several individual pieces over the years, it seems only logical that a complete kit finds its way into my possession one day. The EK-1 Professional Travel and Event Kit looks amazing. Add in the BX-2 travel case and get your mobile mechanic skills on.

We don’t see many Pinarello bikes on the shelves of local bike shops here in SoCal. We definitely, never see Pinarello mountain bikes. The Dogma XC 7.7 is their latest offering and yes, its 27.5. (It seems 27.5 is winning the naming convention with 650B) The bike is ready for both mechanical and electrical cable routing. MSRP is $3,500.

Our friends at Ergon are taking the Enduro game strong. They have an entire (blue, but not just in blue) lineup of goods ready for the Enduro crowd. The GE1 grip is the highlight if you ask me. It is the industries first “made specifically for Enduro riders arm positioning”. The grip has a natural slant which is perfect for elbows-bent, all-mountain style riding.

It wouldn’t be Vegas without a little Vegas, right? Ryders Eyewear brought out the pizzaz with a Delorean and this guy.

Looking for a set of mini goggles? Ryders Eyewear has a ton of new eyewear for 2014. What caught my eye was this pair of the new Face GX (in green). These, half goggle, half sunglasses hybrids are perfect for when a full goggle is too hot and cumbersome. Try riding uphill with full goggles on your face, then you’ll understand. I can see these being great for more than just cycling. Behind the wheel in a truck off-road when the sand is blowing and you need more than just sunglasses to keep your eyes from hurting. The foam backing is removable so you can wear them as normal sunglasses. The photochromic version comes in at $89.95 and standard grey or brown lens at $59.95.

Finally, was able to spot the Industry Grey color of the new Niner RTL9.

If there was another theme to this years show, it would be the all-mountain hard tail bike. If that’s the name of your game, take a look at the Niner ROS 9. The short chainstay length, slack head-angle and beefy head tube, means this bike is going to be a blast charging local singletrack. The $899 frameset can be run geared or SS and the 142x12mm rear spacing allows the use of a Maxle. There are three complete bike options ranging from $2,500 up to $3,800 depending on components. Do yourself a favor, if you pick one up, throw on the optional lower bash guard and grab a Rock Shox Reverb Stealth dropper post. Enjoy!

The 2014 offering from Santa Cruz was getting a lot of attention this week. The 27.5 All-Mountain Bronson comes in aluminum and carbon. Depending on components, the aluminum models weight in between 28-31lbs and the carbon version 27-29lbs. That’s a heavy bike and with only a 2lb savings, I’d stick with the lower cost aluminum.

Intense Cycles makes a good looking bike. The Carbine 29 looks great in orange.

It’s good to see Rocky Mountain doing something new and exciting. For years, their bikes looks familiar without much change. The new Instinct 950 MSL is their 28lb trail bike that features a carbon front triangle and Fox Evolution CTD trail-tuned suspension. (Looks great in green) You can pick one up for around $4,000.

The Manta Pro is the latest to come out of the workshop at Calfee Design in Santa Cruz, CA. These Made in American bikes are something to behold. The frame is custom made and will set you back $4,800. I know, that’s a lot of coin, but isn’t supporting the American economy important? We think so. Give them a look.

If you haven’t heard of ENVE, go back under your rock. Their business has been booming at such a large rate, they have had to expand every facility 10 fold. That’s great news because all of their products are made right here in the USA. If you’re in the market for a wide bar, they have it. (Top down) The Sweep, Riser and DH bars come in 740mm – 800mm options. Let me tell you that 800mm bar is WIDE. The Sweep and Riser come in at 180g and the DH bar is 225g.

Their new Direct Mount Stem has been thoroughly testing on the DH scene. Current World Champion, Greg Minaar, has been racing on it this year without issues. It comes in 50mm and 60mm lengths (112g/117g).

Also coming in 2014 are the new ENVE hydraulic road disc wheels. They look beautiful and will ship tubeless ready!

The Mission Workshop Acres Series Trail Pack is their launch into getting hydration on the trail. We are expecting one to show up here for a full product review soon and cannot wait. The pack is completely waterproof and ready for action. Look for more soon! Did I mention its Made in America? Yup.

The guys at See See Motorcycles put together this custom creation for the Chrome Industries booth. Can you guess what it is? A dirtbike converted cafe racer perhaps?

Chrome is another great Made in USA company out of San Fran. All of their goods are well designed and quality. I was captured by the Chrome Storm jacket today. This minimalistic jacket is waterproof and really looks great. Nothing like simple, clean lines.

Every year Chrome brings out some tools/designers to show us just what goes into making their products.

The Urban Cycling Hall of Fame shared space with Chrome showing off some really nice work from the former fixie famous crowd.

Mr. Prolly is quickly making a name for himself as a photographer and no longer just a blogger. I love seeing guys who work hard and chase their dreams. (bottom row)

Greg Ugalde’s work is inspired by his hometown of New York. He’s been creating some great work for over 15 years.

Not only does Chrome show us a bit of their process, every year they give industry folk the chance to scoop up one of their custom bags at the show for an amazing price.

Their Citizen Night series bags will help keep you safe riding at night. Each model has a reflective back panel so cars don’t miss you on the road.

We got a sneak peek at the future Moto bags from Chrome today. Working with moto friends, these bags are extremely durable and tough as nails to withstand the rigors of the motorcycle crowd.

We especially liked the tool roll flap along the back panel.

Look for this bag to drop sometime next Spring.

The Surly Instagator 2.0 is new for 2014 sporting 26-inch wheels and a moderate FAT tire clearance. It runs their 50mm Rabbit Hole wheels which are quite a bit wider than standard 26-inch, but not quite as FAT as what you would find on the Moonlander or Pugsly.

The new Smith Optics Forefront Helmet is extremely lightweight and ready for glasses or goggles. We loved the side channels designed to keep your glasses locked on your helmet nice and tight. The front lid slides up providing a resting place for your goggles. This is a huge step for Smith and we look forward to giving it a go!

Overheard in the Moots booth, “With our new Rogue YBB 27.5 we are going to see the destruction of the 26-inch bike. It’s fading away quick.” There are probably a ton of DH riders who would hate to hear that but it’s true for most categories. Although, I am not on the 27.5 bandwagon yet, it is becomingly increasing distant to even consider a 26 these days. The new Moots Rogue uses their awesome YBB softail pivotless suspension. It is beautifully made of Ti with that one-and-only, Moots finish. Made in America.

Shinola is doing big things this year. Their name has been a buzzword around the Twittersphere for some time now. Their American Made products are more than just bicycles. Head on over to their website and look for some gorgeous watches, wallets, journals and more.

Foundry Cycles out of Bloomington, MN, had both their 27.5 Tomahawk and 29 Broadaxe on display. Kudos for the model names!

Another great Made in USA company is SWRVE, located in downtown Los Angeles. Both Adam and myself were impressed with the quality of their jackets and shoes. The Milwaukee Jacket ES in particular caught our eyes. It’s a hoodie style jacket made out of water and wind resistnant 3-layer softshell fabric. The cozy fleece interor will keep you warm, the middle layer is not only water and wind resistant, it’s also highly breathable to keep you dry even during vigorous riding.

Now here’s something we had not seen before. Did you know that Shimano has a line of soft goods? Us either. They have everything from slim hydration race-inspired packs to large overnight commuter packs. All of them utilize their rider fit X-Harness, which as you can see above, crosses the streams (who you gonna call?) in the center of your chest.

The packs are really well-built and have plenty of great pocket options. Head on over to Shimano Bags and have a look.

The winner for most confusing head tube goes to…… Diamonback! Seriously guys, stop it.

Who says you can’t get a Fatbike DH bike? Phil Wood will even build you some wheels!

Although we found the top flaps to be a little frustrating on the new Thule Photographer Packs, they look great and have all the right features required for on-the-go shoots.

Lezyne has a few new goodies as well including this 11-speed Multi-tool ready for XX1 guys. Even has the correct torx bits for chain ring bolts. They really should high-five their designers on a daily basis. The products look great.

The Zecto Drive LED lights are great for commuting and powerful enough to get you back if your larger trail light fails at night. They offer USB charging, strobe and red light displays and put out 40 lumens on full power. There is even a nice power meter along the side.

“I love goooooooooooooold.” This inverted X-Fusion Revel HLR fork is something very new and exciting for the AM/Enduro crowd. The fork is available for both 650B and 29 sizes and yes, it only comes in gold. They are Made in America which we love but will set you back to whopping $1,776.

So, what do you get for your money? 140-160mm travel, HLR damper, high/low speed adjustments for compression and rebound, dual-action air system, 34mm stanction tubes, tapered steerer tube, 20mm LockX thru-axle, carbon stanchion guards, lifetime service program and a claimed weight of 4.5lbs. Will you go for the gold?

We mentioned the other day that Chris King, for a limited time, is offering complete wheel sets. Have you ordered yet? They sure do look gorgeous in person sporting the new turquoise parts!

The POC booth was really jumping this year. The AVIP Octal helmet is their latest and greatest due to arrive next Spring. We couldn’t get much detail from the guys at POC because it is still being developed. The entire AVIP line looks pretty good, take a peak.

If snow and ice is part of your winter program, Kenda just released some new studded tires for you. The Klondike tire is now available in 29er, 26 and 700C.

We leave you with this douche nozzle. Not sure who he is but he did a fabulous job of being a drunk idiot riding around in a handicap scooter through the middle of booths honking at people to get out of his way. There’s always one, here he is.

Well, that’s all folks. We had a great time out there and met some amazing people. Brought back some products that we plan on giving our special product review treatment so stay tuned! If we missed you this year please make sure to drop us an email and reach out!

Until next year!